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With crystal clear ponds, deep-water lakes and sheltered bays stocked with fish, the historic resort town of Bar Harbor and nearby Acadia National Park are a sport angler's paradise. Freshwater anglers can cast their lines for a variety of warm-water and cold-water game species, while saltwater sportsmen can launch their own boats from Bar Harbor's pier into placid Frenchman Bay in search of the one that won't get away.

Fishing Season

The freshwater fishing season lasts from April through September. Ice fishing on frozen ponds and lakes generally lasts from January 1 until March 31. There is no set season for ocean fishing, but the best time of year might be July through September, when mackerel, bluefish and striped bass are running.

Licenses

Nonresident anglers over the age of 12 and Maine residents over the age of 16 need a license to freshwater fish in Maine. Cost varies based on age, residency and license length. The Bar Harbor Municipal Office sells licenses to Maine residents only. Tackle shops and sports retailers sell fishing licenses to all. Saltwater fishing does not require a license.

Saltwater Fishing Areas

Bar Harbor has a public boat launch adjacent to the town's pier leading into Frenchman Bay. The town also permits shore fishing off the pier. Acadia National Park's two primary ocean fishing sites are on Sargent Drive along the Somes Sound fjord and Frazer Point on the Schoodic Peninsula portion of Acadia; both offer shore and offshore fishing.

Freshwater Fishing Areas

Within Bar Harbor's town limits, cold-water anglers head to Acadia National Park's Eagle Lake, Witch Hole Pond, Half-Moon Pond, Upper and Lower Breakneck Ponds, Bubble Pond and the Tarn. Acadia's warm-water fishing spots – Hodgdon Pond, Round Pond, Long Pond and Seal Cove Pond – are in the neighboring town of Mount Desert, about 11 miles west of Bar Harbor.

Freshwater Species

Brook trout is the most widely-distributed game fish in Bar Harbor, appearing in all of the cold-water fishing spots. Other cold-water species include landlocked salmon, lake trout, sunfish, white perch and brown trout. More varied fishing awaits at the warm-water ponds, with brown trout, chain pickerel, smallmouth bass, sunfish, yellow and white perch and white sucker ready to test anglers' skills.